The applicant of this application has already filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/462,416 corresponding to Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-203410. US Patent Application publication No. 2010/0036563 of the US Patent Application corresponding to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-036777 discloses a travel support apparatus for a mobile object.
The travel support apparatus virtually sets, on an area around the mobile object, a plurality of reference points. Specifically, the travel support apparatus virtually sets, on a road on which the mobile object is expected to move, a plurality of rows of regularly spaced reference points. The travel support apparatus converts relative motion of each of the reference points with respect to the mobile object into relative motion of a corresponding reference point on a coordinate system formed by modeling a retina sphere of a driver of the mobile object. The relative motion of each reference point on the coordinate system with respect to the mobile object represents visual relative motion of a corresponding reference point with respect to the mobile object, in other words, motion information of each reference point relative to the mobile object on the retina of the driver.
Then, the travel support apparatus sets, based on the visual relative motion of each reference point with respect to the mobile object, a gaze point of the driver and a trajectory (a travel locus) of the mobile object.
Setting a trajectory of the mobile object based on the visual relative motion of each reference point with respect to the mobile object, which corresponds to the driver's visual recognition of a corresponding reference point, allows control of a trajectory of the mobile object; the controlled trajectory of the mobile object is matched with the driver's feeling. This suitably supports the driver's drive of the mobile object without causing discomfort of the driver.